With spring in full force and summer right around the corner it is time to gather one of my favorite weeds herbs. Some call it pineapple weed or wild chamomile. It is in the chamomile family but when you crush the leaves or stems it smells like pineapples. The wonderful things about this herb is that it makes a great tea. I find mine growing in the old roads around the farm. It usually grows where the soil has been compacted beside gravel roads and such. Here on the farm I wait until after a big rain so that any dust is washed off and I pick it. I don't have to worry about and chemicals being sprayed on it that way or car exhaust fumes of any sort.
I wash it well and then I snip off the little green pineapple shaped flowers and dry them just like chamomile.
I just snip them off and place them on my dehydrator trays and lay them on the picnic table in the sun. I don't even have to use the dehydrator.
Once they are dry I will store them in mason jars. When I get ready for tea I can add about 2 teaspoons of the dried flower buds to my tea ball and add boiling water to my mug. I let it steep for about 5 minutes and then add honey. It has the same relaxing effects as chamomile as well as being settling to the stomach. It has a fruity smell and taste. Baby O likes to drink it for menstrual discomfort. Sometimes I may add a leaf or two of mint along with it.
It is also supposed to be good for the skin and I am thinking of adding it to my olive oil that already has plantain in it for my bug bite salve. It also is supposed to help keep insects away.
I would suggest caution when trying it at first as I hear some people can be allergic to it.
It is a bit tedious snipping off all those little flower buds but for me the tea is worth the effort as nothing beats curling up with a cup of this herbal tea on a cold night and that relaxing feeling before nodding off. Just another crop from the land only this one not sown by my hand.
What's your favorite herbal tea?
Since I make a tea out of the flower buds tomorrow I will show you how to use the rest of the plant.!
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
Wow, you really are resourceful! I don't think I've seen that weed before. But don't forget, if you have seasonal allergies, avoid chamomile or anything from the same family.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter has horrible allergies and can't touch the stuff but youngest daughter and I love both chamomile and pineapple weed tea.
DeleteI don't believe that I have ever seen this growing around my parts, but thanks to so many wonderful bloggers teaching me new things, I am developing a keener eye. I will be on the lookout on this afternoons walk.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite herbal teas all hail from the mint family: mint, lemon balm, and such. I am not sure pineapple weed grows in my area, but we have ragweed allergies...and chamomile is not a tea we use for that reason. I love your information, though. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Grandma drying every thing on a screen door laid across two sawhorses.
ReplyDeleteI grow a variety of mints and my fave has to be the chocolate mint. The leaves taste like a york peppermint patty.
ReplyDeleteThat's great. Don't think I've ever seen that before.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is Celestial Seasonings Apple Cinnamon tea. :o)
I've never seen pineapple weed before! It sounds wonderful. My favorite tea is rose cream.
ReplyDelete